The Official Soap Recipe- A Guest Blog

This is a guest blog, written by a fellow Peace Corps volunteer and friend, Emily. You can visit her complete blog at: delcorazondeamerica.blogspot.com     Enjoy!

One of the most important goals of Peace Corps is to promote sustainable development—changes that will last after the volunteers leave. In my branch of Peace Corps Paraguay, the agricultural sector, one of the ways that sustainable development, or sustainable agricultural plays out is by working with the Paraguayans to use the products from their farms and communities as efficiently as possible, to create as much of a closed circle as possible. One way to more efficiently use farm resources (and increase the yield of an individual farm) is to maximize on the “by-products” of family farms. For example, waste products such as cow manure, fallen leaves, and vegetable scraps can be combined to make amazing fertilizer to increase the vegetable production in the garden or field. And the left over fat (tallow) from meat can be used to make soap (which is cheaper and possibly less “chemically” then the soap at the store).

            Speaking of soap…I have been itching to learn how to make soap since I’ve been in Paraguay. So, I was very excited when Mark and Susan from Arazape (a community that is about ½ hrs drive north of me) invited me over to try it out. Susan has made soap many times in the states, however, she always made soap using different vegetable oils. This would be first time for both of us using tallow. We figured, we would try it out once on our own and then teach the recipe to our communities. Susan had procured the recipe from another volunteer who had made soap with his woman’s commission, and so, after buying some lye and tallow from the local hardware store and butchery (respectively), we were ready to go.

The Official Recipe for Tallow Soap   

• Melt down cow fat in a large pot.

• Combine lye with water in a glass container.

• Dice up herbs and grind up some oatmeal to improve soap’s smell and add some gritty scrub.
• Check recipe to make sure you have followed exactly all the steps.
• Pour lye mixture into tallow.
• As your soap boils and bubbles over into yard, stir rapidly.

• Back away from smoking brew.

• Add herbs.

• Scrape hardening foam off of lawn and add back into pot, adding a couple spoonfuls of boiled grass and dirt.

• Attempt to find original recipe with snail-speed internet connection.
  

          Pour foamy brew into molds.

 

• When foamy brew cools down and is obviously planning on remaining a cold foamy brew, re-melt on the stovetop.

• Pour back into molds.
•  Let cure for a week and enjoy.   



Remove from mold, use corn husk to tie on fresh mint

• Optional: find a new recipe.

Growing Leaders

A Growing Leader!

When Mark harvests his corn, he saves some of the seed for planting, ensuring another crop to harvest. Our corn continues to produce, our chickens continue to eat corn and we continue to receive eggs. It’s a sustainable system.

So when I began to plan for an environmental summer camp for the children in our barrio, I had to stop and ask myself the question, “Is this a sustainable system? Will this project continue to happen even after Mark and I return to the States?” My answer to myself was, “Probably not….”

Putting my enthusiasm for making leaf prints aside, and the markers back on the shelf, I noticed my fifteen- year-old neighbor walking towards my house. Then it hit me- if they had an interest, the bright, energetic teenagers in the barrio could learn and lead a camp for their younger neighbors.

 It was time to “grow” some leaders!

Celsa was interested and recruited two friends to help plan, prepare and present an Environmental Summer Camp for the kids in Barrio San Miguel.

We started with brainstorming ideas and charting them. They decided on a 3-day camp, 3 hours per day. We charted daily schedules; listed resources needed, and divided the responsibilities.

Brainstorming, Organizing and Scheduling

 The girls did research on the themes they selected, (Managing Trash; Native Trees; Birds and Animals of Paraguay), created posters and practiced their presentations. They prepared art projects that went with each theme, (Yeay- they selected leaf prints!), and planned fun recreational activities.

Preparing Materials and Presentations

After 5, half-day planning/ work sessions, followed by walking the barrio to personally invite children to attend the camp, the girls were ready!

The teenagers did a great job “leading” their 18 participants during a fun, informative, and engaging 3 day Environmental Summer Camp! They worked together, followed their plan, and shared responsibilities that reflected their strengths.

"Tree Day" Discussion

Mark Shares Information on Planting Tree Seeds

Were there a few bumps in the road? Sure there were- That’s when I bit my tongue, and they learned from the process! We saved all of the planning charts, schedules and teaching posters to serve as guides in planning future “camps,” in hopes that it becomes a sustainable practice.

The end result? Happy camp participants, new learning about important environmental themes, proud camp leaders, and a new crop of enthusiastic, growing leaders!

"Campers" Showing Off Their Certificates

Who is the Tooth Fairy?

When our neighbors, Lorenzo and Jenny came over for a visit, we had an interesting conversation.

Lorenzo had lost a tooth, giving him that cute six-year old jack-o-lantern smile. After hearing the story about his aunt’s technique of painlessly extracting his loose tooth, I asked the obvious question, “Did you put it under your pillow?”

Jenny and Lorenzo looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces. Why on earth would someone put a tooth under a pillow? After asking twice, I realized the confusion was not stemming from misunderstanding my words, (which STILL happens), but from not being familiar to the whole notion of the Tooth Fairy….

So, I asked, “When a tooth falls out, what do kids in Paraguay do with the tooth?”

The answer to them was as obvious as the Tooth Fairy regime was to me- “Obviously you throw the tooth onto the roof of your house! Why would you put a tooth under your pillow? How would Kyju’i find it there?”

That led to my explanation of the story of the Tooth Fairy, (a really bizarre notion when you think about it…). Jenny then shared the story of Kyju’i. It went something like this…

In Paraguay, when a child looses a tooth, she must throw it on top of the roof of her house, and recite,

 “Kyju’i, Kyju’i, eme’e cheve che raira ipyahuva.” Translating from Guarani to English- “Kyju’i, Kyju’i, give me a new tooth.”

During the night, Kyju’i, a cricket, will visit and collect the tooth from the roof. If he is successful in finding the tooth, Kyju’i will keep it, and in return will ensure that another tooth grows in its place. And sure enough, those “new teeth” seem to grow in every time!

So there you go, no monetary trade off, just an exchange for a bigger, better model. Interesting these cultural traditions we have for children. Too bad the magic doesn’t continue for adults. Then again, I’d be happy to keep all of my teeth at this point!

La Princesa Sofia

Hello everyone! This is a guest blog entry written by my sixteen year old neighbor, Naty. She did a great job writing about her new baby niece and we decided she should become a published author!

Me volví tía a los 16 años de edad y soy una tía muy feliz como no serlo si mi sobrina es una bebe hermosa ella nació el 19 de enero del 2013 a las dos de la tarde se llama Sofía Silva ese día en mi vida por primera vez comprendí lo que significa Ciclo de Vida porque apenas la mañana del 19 de enero era una mañana triste para mí porque perdí a un amigo muy querido por todos en un trágico accidente a Víctor Sebastián Ortiz Zorrilla y apenas empezaba la tarde sonreí porque llego a mí la noticia de que mi sobrina había nacido comprendí que el Ciclo de Vida es cuando acaba una vida y empieza otra vida Sofía lleno todo el vacío que había dejado en mi la perdida de aquel amigo que nunca olvidare sus abuelos Félix y Julia y su querida mama Fátima están felices y como no mencionar a sus tíos Joel y Perla Dios es generoso y quiere que todos sus hijos estén felices y a nosotros nos dio un angelito con brillo de paz que reboza con su sonrisa amor en nuestros corazones en esta casa humilde creciste lloraste por primera vez y en esta casa oirás historias de tu más tierna infancia cada momento cada cosa aunque parezca insignificante es algo maravilloso para nosotros hay estas doncella durmiendo entre rasos y sonando cosas maravillosas en príncipes en hadas o en unicornios quizás Sofía mi Ángel mi princesa el amor de nuestras vidas...nunca te alejes de nosotros porque eres nuestro sol y cuando el sol entra llega la noche y nuestras vidas sin tu presencia sería una vida oscura sin iluminación eres una pequeña luciérnaga en nuestras vidas con tu luz no habrá oscuridad que nos haga tropezar en la inmensidad porque eres y serás siempre nuestra lucecita de Amor!!!

Holiday Traditions

As you can imagine there are many differences when it comes to celebrating the holidays in Paraguay, but there are many similarities as well! Here are a few examples that come to mind….

Food- lots of Food! At the top of the menu- carne asada, or bar-b-qued beef and pork. Clarico, or finely chopped fruit placed in a 5-gallon bucket retrieved from the barnyard, which is then filled with wine, champagne and orange soda. Finally, the tatakuaa, or earthen oven, is fired up and readied for the chipa guazu. Chipa guazu, (sounds like something from a Dr. Seuss book, doesn’t it?), is a special bread made from freshly ground corn, eggs, oil, and lots of homemade cheese- delicious! Paraguayans actually plant their corn so the harvest coincides with the holiday season in order to prepare this specialty.

Cutting fruit for Clarico

Visiting neighbors with Holiday Greetings. It is a tradition with my family, in the states, to bake Christmas cookies, then share with friends and neighbors. I decided to continue this tradition in Paraguay, and some neighbor kids joined me in baking.

 Because I didn’t have plates, we cut plastic soda bottles and placed our goodies inside. After tying tiny homemade cards to the bottles, we were off to visit and wish our friends and neighbors a Feliz Navidad!

 

At many homes large outdoor crèches were assembled complete with all the key players, decorated with greenery and flowers from the yard, candles and offerings of fruit and candies.

 

On Christmas Day, gifts are not exchanged. Instead, Dia de Los Tres Magos,(Day of the The Three Wise Men), is celebrated on January 6^th.  On this day all good children place a shoe near an open window in the evening, hoping it will be filled with treats and small toys. As you can see, Los Tres Magos have an interesting sense of humor, as this is what Mark found in his shoe!

 

Here’s to hoping you had a wonderful holiday season, whether in the States or in Paraguay celebrating both old and new traditions!

The Best Christmas Gift Ever…..

Was a Visit From our Kids!

Our beautiful kids, (minus 1- we missed you, Eliot!)

In late November our kids journeyed all the way to Paraguay to visit us and see some of the sights in South America. It was amazing to see them, listen to stories about their lives, get lots of big hugs, and see that that these wonderful people who we get to call family are doing well and doing good in the world!

Our travels and adventures went something like this…..

After resting and visiting Mercado 4,

Ty at Mercado 4 where he got his guampa, bombilla and possibly his awful stomach bug!

the Peace Corps office, markets, plazas, and other sites in Asuncion for a couple of days, we got a rental car and headed for our community.  During the 4 days in Arazape, our kids got to see our work in site, meet neighbors, experience the culture, and help open a new library in a small barrio school.

Amber and Ashley help pass out books for the new library in Jhugua, Paraguay.

The kids bought guampas, bombillas, and hammocks to take a little piece of Paraguay home with them!

We celebrated Christmas a month early, ate a big pot of beans, and traded gifts of handmade items from Paraguay for jars of peanut butter, spices, Sierra Nevada pale ale, and recorded music from home! Oh, and did I mention that I got to feel my first grandbaby, due in April, kick for the first time?!

Dave’s awesome driving skills took us to Encarnacion, the Jesuit Ruins of Trinidad, then North to Ciudad de Este. We crossed the Rio Parana on a ferry to Argentina, and arrived at the “tres fronteras” of Paraguay, Brasil, and Argentina. Despite a little rain, Iguazu Falls was incredible, especially la Garganta del Diablo, the rain forest, the animals, birds and butterflies! After 3 days in Puerto Iguazu, we returned to Asuncion.

The "crew" in front of the "Garganta del Diablo", Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Unfortunately this was the end of our visit with Ashley and Tyler, who had to return home. There were lots of tears- so hard to see them go… They boarded a plane, and we, (Amber, Dave, Mark, and I), hopped on a bus to Argentina. We traveled through Resistencia, and Salta, finally ending up in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. We took a two-day tour through the Atacama Desert, (the driest desert in the world), and the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, (the largest salt flat in the world)- breathtaking with red lakes, pink flamingos, and volcanos reaching 19,000ft- like being on another planet! We even stayed in a hotel constructed of salt, with rock salt floors!

Amber and Dave at the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

A night bus brought us to La Paz, Bolivia with busy street markets, colorful textiles, and women wearing bowler hats! Onward to Cuzco, Peru where we prepared for another big adventure- a four day trek to Machu Picchu. The trek was daunting at times, (where is the oxygen at 12,000ft?), and gave us a true appreciation for the Inca who used this trail for travel.

Mark and I dumped our backpacks to take a break on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

We were rewarded with once in a life time scenery and glimpses of the past, especially as we rounded the corner to see Machu Picchu at sunrise, in all of its glory!

We made it! Our trek group posing in front of Machu Picchu.

The next morning, Amber and Dave hopped a flight back to the states, (more tears), and Mark and I boarded a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia. We stayed in hotel on the shore of Lake Titicaca, (highest navegable lake in the world), enjoyed this beautiful place and rested our weary bones.

 Women near booths selling decorations for "the blessing of the cars" in Copacabana, Bolivia

We next headed to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where we boarded another bus and finished the last leg of our journey back to Asuncion.

In all- Five countries, fascinating destinations, interesting cultures, beautiful scenery, awe-inspiring adventures, and incredible opportunities- my favorite part, you ask?

The best Christmas gift, ever…. Spending precious time with our fascinating, interesting, beautiful, inspiring, incredible kids, (minus one- we missed you, Eliot!)!

Books for Kids!

Mark watches as the kids check out their new books!

It’s hard to imagine a school without books for kids, yet I read this was the case before our departure to Paraguay. I decided this was one way we could make a difference for the community in which we served. So, before we left the states we began the process, continued our work with the people in our community, and finally, last week, at an assembly, we presented one of our schools with a new library display case full of books! 

Susana, "Look at this!"

The kids were really excited, the teachers thankful, and we were happy to see the wonderful results of this collaborative process! With the desire to have as many minds and hands on this project as possible, the process went something like this:

1. Before leaving the states, I found a source of books in Spanish, from discontinued programs, that were headed for the recycler, and received gifts of books to contribute to this project.
2. For Christmas, our parents gifted each of us with an extra baggage fee, so we could each bring 50 pounds of books with us to Paraguay.
3. When our friends, Mary Jo and Charlie came to visit us, they each brought an additional 50 pounds of books for the project.
4. We started reading with kids during our Club de Libros every Saturday- these kids could not get enough of reading and listening to books! Though this was a successful project, we were concerned about its sustainability after we returned to the states, and knew we had to take it to an institutional level, sooo….
5. We talked with teachers and the principals at both schools to get input on the project. We also talked about training and how the books might be utilized in the classrooms and with individual students, including: a system for check out and borrowing; care of books; and strategies for read alouds, silent reading, and developing strategies for building comprehension.
6. We met with the Comision de Padres about funding a display case for the books, after creating a design and consulting with a local carpenter. They decided to fund the project!
7. Next, we worked with the carpenter on the final touches on the design of the project. After two meetings and lots of sketches, we all met at the school for final approval of the design and price.
8. The carpenter finished the project- it turned out exactly as we had hoped!
9. Our next task was to get the case to the school… the local police station had a pickup, so we asked them to transport the display case from the carpenter’s house to the school. Mark and I held on to the case in the back of the police truck as they headed down the bumpy road to the school!
10. We then worked with students at the school to apply varnish to the bookcase. They were curious about what we were doing and very eager to help!

    

    Kids adding the finishing touches to the new book display!

11. The following week we brought 250 books to the school, and with the help of the kids, stocked the new display. When the Comision de Padres save enough for an additional book display, the remaining 250 books will be taken to the school.
12. Finally, during a school assembly, we presented the completed project to the school with thanks to all involved! And thanks to all of you for your help, offers to help and good thoughts along the way!

    

    Presenting the new books at a school assembly, along with a few rules for taking care of books!

Finally, after over a year in the works, the teachers and students in Arazape have books! Books for: teaching tools, reading for pleasure, reading aloud, learning about new ideas and places, and just having time to hold a book in their hands and dream…..